​Expose students to environmental print in diverse settings such as the classroom, home, playground, grocery store, restaurants, and on community outings. Make literacy relevant by connecting it to real-life experiences and daily routines.

Strategies for Teaching Environmental Print

​Teach students to recognize both print, symbols, and nonvisual cues in their environment:
  • Print: EXIT signs, restroom labels, menu boards, bus schedules, classroom labels, signs in the hallway, labels on doors.
  • Auditory cues: school announcements, crosswalk signals, elevator chimes, store checkout beeps.
  • Tactile cues: raised signage, braille labels, textured flooring indicators.
Helping the student understand environmental print will strengthen their orientation and functional literacy skills. Examples of environmental print include:
  • ​At Home: receipts, food boxes, cans, cookbooks, recipe cards, party invitations, medication labels, mail, flyers, magazines, catalogs, and certificates (birth, marriage, awards)
  • At School: Classroom and hallway labels, menus, maps, calendars, schedules, textbook covers, agendas, phone lists, supply lists, bulletin boards, school newspapers, morning announcements, yearbooks, and library displays.
  • In the Community: Sales flyers and coupons, store signage, product labels, restaurant menus (print and online), brochures, maps, directories, medicine labels, packaging, transportation schedules, price tags, and cash register readouts.

Use Magnification and Technology

  • ​For students with low vision: Provide handheld magnifiers, CCTV systems, digital magnifiers, or apps that enlarge print or improve contrast.
  • For students with minimal or no vision: Teach the use of braille displays, screen readers, OCR (optical character recognition) apps like Seeing AI or Envision, and tools that read or identify signage.
These tools allow students to access environmental print with greater independence.

Early Exposure to Print and Braille

Introducing print and braille early builds familiarity, confidence, and readiness for formal literacy instruction. Exposure should be natural, consistent, and meaningful. ​​Examples of Braille Integration
  • Daily schedules and classroom routines
  • Student cubbies, lockers, chairs, and desks
  • Braille-labeled books, storyboards, and tactile calendars
  • Recipes, menus, or science lab materials
  • Classroom job charts
  • Braille-labeled manipulatives for math or reading
  • Messages, notes, or communication journals
These experiences help normalize braille and establish it as an everyday tool for communication.

Functional Uses for Braille

Functional braille gives students direct access to the world around them. It supports independence and builds pride in using literacy tools effectively. Examples of functional braille applications include:
  • ​Labeling: Personal belongings, backpacks, lunchboxes, clothing (especially for organization systems), school supplies, art materials, household items, and storage areas.
  • Record-Keeping: Phone numbers and addresses, homework assignments, shopping lists, reminders, and passwords (securely stored).
  • Communication: Daily journals, braille greeting cards, notes to teachers or classmates, and written messages to family members.
  • Tools: Use a braille labeler, braillewriter, or braille display to create consistent, durable labels for everyday use.

Integration of Braille in the Classroom Environment

A braille-rich classroom promotes literacy, independence, and inclusion. When braille is integrated into shared spaces, it communicates that braille is valued and expected, just like print.
Strategies to Create a Braille-Rich Learning Environment
  • Label desks, cubbies, lockers, centers, and materials in braille and print.
  • Add braille to bulletin boards, charts, rules, and classroom expectations.
  • Provide braille versions of classroom schedules, assignments, handouts, and library books.
  • Include braille in group activities, centers, and collaborative projects.
  • Display braille alphabet cards, tactile graphics, number lines, and tactile maps.
  • Pair print materials with braille wherever possible to support inclusive learning.
These practices benefit braille readers and sighted peers, creating a classroom culture where multiple literacy modes coexist and are respected.
By intentionally incorporating environmental print and braille into everyday activities, educators help students with visual impairments develop critical literacy and independence skills. Awareness of environmental print increases access to information, enhances safety, and strengthens real-world problem-solving. Building braille literacy across settings supports functional independence, communication, and academic growth.

Printable Emergent Literacy Resources

The following printable resources are available as PDF downloads on the Emergent Literacy Printables page. Check each printable page regularly, as resources are being added regularly! 
Alphabet Object Books
Preview of Alphabet Object Books
Developing Book Sense Activities
Preview of Developing Book Sense Activities
Developing Book Sense Lesson
Preview of Developing Book Sense Lesson
Dramatic Portrayals Bringing Stories to Life
Preview of Dramatic Portrayals Bringing Stories to Life
Emergent Literacy Activities
Preview of Emergent Literacy Activities
Object Book Ideas
Preview of Object Book Ideas
Object Stories Handout
Object Stories Handout
Onset Sort from A to Lesson
Preview of Onset Sort from A to Lesson
Pair Objects with Words
Preview of Pair Objects with Words
Supporting Emergent Literacy
Preview of Supporting Emergent Literacy

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